Multiple-Atmosphere, Nested Food Container

ABSTRACT

A multi-atmosphere, nested food container having an opaque, thermoformed top tray with a modified atmosphere other than air for storing unpackaged, perishable food items therein nested within a transparent, thermoformed bottom tray having a non-modified atmosphere for prepackaged food items. The top tray is sealed with a transparent common air impermeable flexible film to allow for viewing of the food items therethrough. The top tray nests inside of the bottom tray such that a bottom surface of the top tray is placed inside of an opening at the top surface of the bottom tray. This orientation allows for the top tray to remain in a relatively upright position such that the top surface of the top tray remains visible to consumers.

FIELD

This application generally relates to a multiple-atmosphere, nested foodcontainer for enclosing food items therein, and, in particular, amultiple-atmosphere, nested food container that comprises a food trayhaving an atmosphere filled with a gas other than air for packagingperishable food items therein and nested within another tray having adifferent atmosphere.

BACKGROUND

Food packages are known to comprise multiple compartments within asingle main tray. Multiple trays may also be used and packaged together,each tray having a different food component therewithin and at least onetray may have multiple compartments. When food packages are sold toconsumers, it is often preferred that some portion of the package beclear or partially transparent so that the food product within can bevisible to the consumer.

However, when multiple trays are packaged together they each can oftenhave their own closure film or lid. This entails extra material withinthe package, as well as an extra piece of packaging to be removed by theconsumer, and an additional manufacturing step when packaging the food.Furthermore, where it is desired to package two trays together in asnap-fit manner, they are often placed in a “face-to-face” orientation,such that each tray is separately sealed at its opening at which thetrays are in contact. Therefore, when the outside perimeter of theassembled package is viewed, whether it is from the top or bottom, onlythe outside bottom surface of the trays are visible. If the trays arerelatively clear or transparent, the food packaged therein may bevisible. However, the food is typically packaged such that the bottom orback of the food product rests adjacent to the bottom of the tray withthe film seal or lid placed over the top of the food product. Thus, whenthe trays are placed in face to face contact, the top of the foodproducts are hidden from view within the interior of the package leavingonly the bottom of the food product visible through the package.

This face to face orientation does not provide a proper view of the foodproduct to the consumer. Many times a consumer makes the decision topurchase a packaged food product based upon its appearance in thepackage. If the consumer is not able to see the front or top side of thefood product, which is typically also the side viewed when eating, theconsumer may be hesitant to purchase the product thinking that perhapswhat they cannot see is not good.

To somewhat alleviate this problem, an all clear tray and lidding filmhave been employed to seal the openings of the trays. This permits aconsumer to look through the bottom-end of a the top tray compartment,i.e., the bottom end is on top when packaged in a face to faceorientation, through the lidding film of both trays, and into the bottomtray compartment to see the top surface of the food product in thebottom tray compartment. However, the top tray still only displays thebottom surface of the food product due to the face to face orientationof the two trays, thus hiding the top surface from view.

Nesting of compartment trays within each other has been employed whereboth trays can be oriented in the same direction, with one inside theother. For instance, the top compartment tray will remain in an uprightposition and can nest or be placed into the bottom compartment tray.However, these nested trays either share a common cover or lid, or thetop tray is used as a cover for the bottom tray. In both instances,neither is packaged in a separate modified atmosphere, rather both thetop and bottom are packaged in similar atmospheres. Thus, packaging foodproducts together that have differing shelf-life requirements in nestedpackages often requires that the food products be packaged in the sameenvironment. Thus, if a perishable food is present, then thenon-perishable food must also be packaged under the same conditions asis required for maintaining the perishable food. This proves a waste ofresources if not needed for non-perishable or prepackaged items, as wellas the non-perishable food item taking up space in the package thatcould be used by another perishable food product.

SUMMARY

A multiple-atmosphere, nested food container or package having at leastone tray packaged in a modified atmosphere environment and at least onetray is not, is provided. This type of multi-atmosphere food containerallows for improved shelf appearance for differing shelf-life foodproducts and frontal product visibility through the trays to allowconsumers clear visibility of the unpackaged, perishable food items.This type of container further allows packaging food products togetherthat would not be obvious to package due to having different shelflives, such as a cheese product and a dessert bar. The multi-atmosphere,nested food container is provided having an opaque, thermoformed toptray nested within a transparent, thermoformed bottom tray, the top traycomprising multiple compartments sealed with a transparent common, airimpermeable flexible film while packaged in a modified atmosphere(“MAP”). The bottom tray is not MAP-sealed. The top tray furthercontains perishable food items that are not prepackaged or wrappedbefore placement into the compartments. The bottom tray does containprepackaged food items and can optionally include non-food items, suchas eating utensils.

The top tray is nested within the bottom tray in an upright positionsuch that the bottom surface of the top tray is placed into the bottomtray at an upper opening thereat. Thus the top surface of the top trayremains visible and in a face-forward orientation. This orientationavoids a face to face positioning of the two trays, ensuring that thetop of the food products remains visible.

Food packaged within the multi-atmosphere, nested food container allowsfor packaging foods together that have differing shelf lives and thatmay not have been obvious to package in the same container. Forinstance, packaging a perishable food item with a non-perishable fooditem, where both would be packaged in its separate required atmosphere,is provided with the multi-atmosphere, nested container. Furthermore,the food container disclosed herein allows for the top tray to faceforward when nested in the bottom tray, so that the perishable foods canbe viewed from their upper surface, or the surface visible when eating.This allows for improved product presentation because the consumer cansee the top surface of the food they are getting and can be confident inthe quality of that food. This container also allows for improved shelfappearance of the food products therein because the products can bepackaged in their appropriate atmospheres to maintain their freshnessqualities and attractive appearance. Since the bottom tray is alsotransparent, the consumer can also view the contents of the bottom tray.

Additionally, less packaging material is required since the lid or coverto the bottom tray is simply the top tray itself. This further providesfor less manufacturing steps since each tray does not need to beseparately sealed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-atmosphere, nested foodcontainer;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 1, taken alongthe line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A is a top plan view of a top tray of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B is a bottom plan view of the top tray of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a bottom tray of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fully assembled multi-atmosphere,nested food container;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of amulti-atmosphere, nested food container;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container of FIG. 7, taken alongthe line 8-8;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a top tray of the container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a bottom tray of the container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a fully assembled multi-atmosphere,nested food container of the second embodiment; and

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a third embodiment of a top tray of amulti-atmosphere, nested food container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A multiple-atmosphere, nested food container is provided with a foodtray packaged in a modified atmosphere and hermetically sealed, andnested inside of another food tray, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-13. Thefood package or container can have a top tray and a bottom tray, wherethe top tray can contain multiple compartments for receiving unpackaged,perishable food. The top tray can be covered with a common transparentflexible film that hermetically seals the food items therein. The toptray can further contain a modified atmosphere comprising a gas otherthan air that is maintained in the compartments once the flexible filmis placed thereon. The bottom tray can contain a main compartment forreceiving prepackaged food and/or non-food items therein. Since the fooditems are prepackaged, the bottom tray does not need to be sealed withfilm or filled with a modified atmosphere. The top tray can provide aclosure for the compartment of the bottom tray by snapping into theopening of the bottom tray. FIGS. 1-6 represent a first aspect of thefood container with a first design of the top and bottom trays. FIGS.7-12 represent a second aspect of the food container with a seconddesign of the top and bottom trays. FIG. 13 represents a third design ofthe top tray. All different tray components can be interchangeable withone another.

Turning to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a food container 10 is shown inits assembled form. The food container 10 has an opaque, thermoformedtop tray 12 and a transparent, thermoformed bottom tray 14, the top tray12 insertable into the bottom tray 14, and further comprising atransparent common, air impermeable flexible film 16 placed over the topsurface of the top tray 12 and forming a hermetic seal over the top tray12. The top tray 12 can comprise a plurality of openings or compartmentsfor receiving food directly therein. The food items placed in the toptray compartments do not need to be prepackaged since they are sealedwith the common flexible film to preserve the food's freshness, to bediscussed in more detail herein.

The top tray 12 can comprise at least two compartments, or as shown inFIGS. 1-6, can have at least six compartments 18 a to 22 b in one aspectof the food container 10. The compartments can have any shape, such assquare, rectangular, any rectilinear shape, or circular, to name a few,and can be oriented in any manner, such as similarly shaped pairsarranged in a column or multiple single compartments arranged randomlyand having different shapes. In another aspect, a top tray 212 cancomprise only two compartments, as shown in FIG. 13. Both compartmentscan be shaped differently from each other, with one being generallycircular and the other generally rectilinear. In yet another aspect, thetop tray 121 can comprise three compartments, as shown in FIG. 7. Eachcompartment can again have a different shape from the othercompartments, with one being generally circular and the other two havinga generally curved rectilinear compartment. However, any number ofcompartments can be provided on the top tray and in any shape orconfiguration.

As can be seen from FIG. 4A, the top tray 12 can have at least threepairs of food compartments, for a total of six compartments, with eachpair comprising similarly shaped compartments. A first compartment pair18 a and 18 b can each have a generally square shape with similardimensions. A second compartment pair 20 a and 20 b can also have agenerally square shape and a third compartment pair 22 a and 22 b canhave a generally rectangular shape with similar dimensions. However, anyshape compartments may be provided and the compartment pairs do not needto all be similarly shaped and sized.

Various food items can be placed directly into the desired compartments18 a to 22 b of the top tray 12 without requiring the food items to beprepackaged, and can be covered with a common air impermeable flexiblefilm layer 16. The flexible film 16 can be affixed to the top tray 12 tohermetically seal the openings to each compartment 18 a to 22 b. Theflexible film 16 can further be provided as a clear or transparent filmto allow viewing therethrough of the food items in their respectivecompartments 18 a to 22 b such that the contents or interiors of theseparate compartments are each visible from an upper surface 30 of thefood container 10 through the flexible film 16. The flexible film layer16 can be sealed to a portion of an uppermost generally planar flange 54surrounding the periphery of the top tray 12 at an upper surface 30 ofthe top tray 12 to hermetically seal each of the compartments, as shownin FIG. 3. The planar flange 54 can surround a plurality of the openingsor compartments of the top tray 12 and can surround a periphery of thetray 12. The flexible film 16 can maintain the shelf-life of the fooditems thus preserving the food items' freshness. The flexible film 16can further be a peelable seal, such that it can be removed easily fromthe top tray 12 without cutting.

Furthermore, as the flexible film 16 is being sealed to the top tray 12,the food compartments 18 a to 22 b can relatively simultaneously beflushed and/or filled with a modified atmosphere gas other than air toprovide a packaging environment that can also extend the shelf-life ofthe food items and help the food items maintain a desirable appearanceduring retail display. Such a packaging environment may include amodified atmosphere package (“MAP”) that includes, without limitation,atmospheres comprising oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbonmonoxide, and combinations thereof. In one aspect, the modifiedatmosphere environment may comprise a mixture of gases comprising about25% carbon dioxide (CO₂) and about 75% nitrogen (N₂). In general, themodified atmosphere can contain about 70% to about 85% nitrogen, andpreferably the balance can be carbon dioxide.

The top tray 12 can also have a vertical flange 56 depending from theplanar flange 54 and generally extending about the entire perimeter ofthe top tray 12. The vertical flange 56 can further terminate in ahorizontal flange portion 58. These flange portions can cooperate withsimilarly situated flange portions of the bottom tray 14 when in theclosed configuration to provide a closed container 10, to be discussedin further detail herein below.

Each compartment of the top tray 12 can have a depending sidewall and abottom wall, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, with an opening opposite thebottom wall and defining an interior for containing discrete, unpackagedperishable food items directly therein. Any variation on the number ofsidewalls can be provided and typically four upstanding sidewalls areprovided when the compartment has a generally rectilinear shape, as inFIG. 1. If the compartment has a generally circular shape it can have atleast one upstanding sidewall, or at least two upstanding sidewalls. Inone aspect, compartment 20 b has a bottom wall 34 and three upstandingsidewalls 40 a, 40 b and 40 c and one partial upstanding sidewall havingsidewall portions 40 d and 40 d′ adjacent to compartment 20 a. Thepartial upstanding sidewall 40 d and 40 d′ can be divided by an optionalnotch or depression 44 positioned between compartments 20 a and 20 b ina common sidewall. The notch 44 can be used as a finger insert thatallows the consumer to insert a finger or other removal means or tool toassist in removal of the food item therein. Thus, at least two of thesix total compartments can have this common depressed sidewall thatprovides for a finger insert or other removal tool.

Another pair of compartments 22 a and 22 b can also contain a bottomwall with four upstanding sidewalls. For instance, compartment 22 b hasa bottom wall 36 and four upstanding sidewalls 42 a, 42 b, 42 c and 42d. Sidewall 42 a can similarly contain an optional finger insert in theform of a recess or an indentation 46. The indentation 46 can span aportion of the sidewall 42 a, such that it can span at least enough of adistance to allow a consumer access to the interior of the compartment22 b to make removal of the food item easier. In one aspect, theindentation 46 can be positioned at about a midpoint of the sidewall 42a and can make up about ⅓ of the length of the sidewall 42 a. Similarly,compartment 22 a also can contain an optional indentation 48 in itssidewall 42 a′.

The final pair of compartments 18 a and 18 b can have a multi-levelbottom wall due to a raised portion 26 in the bottom of each compartment18 a and 18 b. The raised portion 26 at the bottom interior of thecompartment 18 a or 18 b can be provided to allow a smaller height fooditem or stack to be packaged and stored therein and still be at the samefinal height as food items in adjacent compartments 20 a, 20 b, 22 a and22 b. The food compartments 18 a to 22 b can each have a similar depthcompartment. It is further desired that the food items are placed in thefood compartments at the same visible elevation, such that the topsurface of the uppermost food item can be viewed from the top of thetray. The food items preferably are packaged such that the uppermostfood item is almost flush with the top surface 30 of the top tray 12.All of the food items are preferably placed in their respectivecompartments at approximately the same height. Where the food item orstack of food items is not tall enough, the bottom wall 32 of the foodcompartment 18 a and 18 b can contain raised portion 26 for supportingfood thereon, which can slightly elevate the food therein to a heightthat is generally equivalent to the height of the other food items inthe adjacent compartments, and above a bottommost portion of the bottomwall 32.

The raised portion 26 can be present in one compartment, more than one,or all, however, the presence of a raised portion 26 within thecompartments is optional and does not need to be present at all. The useof a raised portion 26 can be dependant upon the food item to be storedtherein and whether or not the food item will be tall enough to besubstantially fully viewed from its upper surface when placed in thecompartment. In one aspect, compartment 18 b, as shown in FIG. 2, canhave a bottom wall 32 that has three portions 32 a, 32 b and 32 c. Themiddle portion 32 b of the bottom wall 32 can form the raised portion 26within the interior of the compartment 18 b, and the two outer portionsof the bottom wall 32 a and 32 c can be flush with the other bottomwalls 34 and 36 of the outer compartments. The compartment 18 b also canhave four upstanding sidewalls 38 a, 38 b, 38 c and 38 d. Along aportion of sidewall 38 b a finger insert can be provided, such as anindentation 50, similar to the indentations 46 or 48 at compartments 22a and 22 b. Likewise, compartment 18 a can also have an indentation 52in a portion of its sidewall 38 b′. Thus, at least one compartment, andpreferably all, can contain a recess or notch for inserting a finger orother removal tool therein to provide for easier removal of the fooditem stored in the compartment.

The bottom tray 14 can comprise a bottom wall 62 and a peripheralsidewall extending upwardly from the bottom wall 62. In one aspect, thebottom wall 62 can have four upstanding sidewalls 64 a, 64 b, 64 c and64 d, as shown in FIG. 5. Opposite the bottom wall 62, there can be anopen end 66 surrounded by an uppermost peripheral rim 68 at an upper endof the sidewalls 64. The sidewall and bottom wall can define an interior24 of the bottom tray 14, which can be filled with prepackaged fooditems or non-food items, such as plastic eating utensils, napkins, andthe like, in a non-modified atmosphere. The bottom tray 14 does not needto be hermetically sealed and/or MAP-sealed due to the food itemstherein already being prepackaged. Thus, the opening 66 of the bottomtray 14 does not need to be sealed with a film or other air-tight seal,rather a lid or other enclosure can be used to close the interior 24 ofthe bottom tray 14 to prevent the contents therein from spilling out.

The peripheral rim 68 of the bottom tray 14 has a vertical flangeportion 70 that depends therefrom and generally extends about the entireperimeter of the opening 66 of the bottom tray 14. The vertical flangeportion 70 can terminate in a horizontal flange portion 72. The verticalflange portion 70 can contact the vertical flange portion 56 of the toptray when the container 10 is placed in a closed configuration.Similarly, the respective horizontal flange portions 58 and 72 can alsocontact one another upon closing.

To place the container 10 in a closed configuration, the sealed top tray12 can be inserted into the bottom tray 14 in an upright position suchthat the top tray 12 can nest just inside a portion of the interior 24of the bottom tray 14 to provide a durable enclosure that covers theopening 66 of the bottom tray 14 and can act as a lid for the bottomtray 14. The top tray 12 can snap into the bottom tray 14 while in anupright position, with the top surface 30 of the top tray 12 facingoutward and fully visible when displayed. The upright position of thetop tray 12 is achieved by inserting a bottom surface of the top tray 12into the opening 66 at the top surface of the bottom tray 14, such thata portion of the flange 54 surrounding the periphery of the top tray 12rests on the peripheral rim 68 surrounding the opening 66 of the bottomtray 14. The term “upright position” refers to the top surface 30 of thetop tray 12 being visible in relation to the bottom tray 14, such thatthe top surface 30 faces forward. It is to be understood that the closedand fully assembled container 10 can be displayed on its side, or in anyother manner, yet the top surface will still remain visible and can beconsidered to be in an “upright position” in relation to the bottom tray14. When the container 10 is closed, the underside of the planar flange54 can be adjacent the top surface of the peripheral rim 68 of thebottom tray 14. Similarly, the underside of the vertical flange 56 andhorizontal flange 58 of the top tray 12 can be adjacent to the verticalflange 70 and horizontal flange 72, respectively, of the bottom tray 14.

In order to achieve a snap-fit of the top tray 12 over the bottom tray14, as well as an audible snapping sound, the top and bottom trays 12and 14 can have elastic engagement of their respective edge. This can beprovided by a rib and groove pair positioned in at least one corner ofthe container 10, and preferably one in each corner of the container 10,that cooperate to fit the top tray 12 and bottom tray 14 together. Inone aspect, there can be a groove 80 and 81 in each corner 82 and 83 ofthe bottom tray 14. These grooves 80 and 81 can be positioned along aportion of the vertical flange 70 that cooperate with corresponding ribs84 and 85, respectively, positioned on the top tray 12 along a portionof the vertical flange 56 in corners 86 and 87, respectively, on theunderside thereof, as seen in FIG. 4B. The large grooves 80 can bepositioned in opposite corners 82 adjacent an optional tab extension 74.These large grooves 80 can be larger in size than the small grooves 81in adjacent corners 83, and can have a larger size and length indent dueto being positioned adjacent the tab extensions 74. As the ribs 84 and85 from the top tray 12 slide over and into their respective grooves 80or 81, at a minimum the corners 86 and 87 of the top tray 12 can deformand snap back into place, snapping into their respective groove 80 or81. The food container 10 can have a rib 84 or 85 and correspondinggroove 80 or 81 in each of its four corners, however, less than thatnumber can be supplied and at least one of each can be provided.Alternatively, the opposite configuration may also be provided where theribs are located on the bottom tray 14 and the grooves are located onthe top tray 12.

The items located inside the interior 24 of the bottom tray 14 can bearranged at a height that does not interfere with the underside of thebottom walls 32, 34, and 36 of the top tray 12 when placed over theopening 66 of the bottom tray 14. Depending on what the depth of the toptray 12 compartments 18 a to 22 d are, the items packaged in theinterior 24 of the bottom tray 14 should be packaged at least thisdistance below the top flange 68 of the bottom tray 14.

FIGS. 7-12 illustrate another aspect of the food container. FIG. 7 showsa food container 100 comprising a top tray 121 and a bottom tray 141.The top tray 121 can contain three compartments 102, 104, and 106 in theaspect shown. The three compartments 102, 104, and 106 can all be shapedor sized differently from one another. At least one compartment can havea generally circular side. In one aspect, a first compartment 102 can besized generally circular, with a bottom wall 132 and at least twoupstanding sidewalls. The first compartment 102 can also be the largestsized compartment for storing a large food item or items. The nextlargest compartment 104 can be generally rectilinear in shape withgenerally rounded edges. The compartment 104 can have a bottom wall 134and four upstanding sidewalls. The last compartment 106 can be thesmallest sized compartment and it can generally comprise a parallelogramshape. The compartment 106 can have a bottom wall 136 and fourupstanding sidewalls.

The top tray 121 can have compartments at a similar depth as those ofthe previous container 10, however, raised portions at the bottom of thecompartments do not need to be provided. Alternatively, the raisedportions may be provided where the food item stored therein is small inheight and needs an increased display height in order to reach the samedisplay height of adjacent food items. Additionally, the compartments102, 104 and 106 are shown without indentations or notches therein for afinger or other removal tool to be inserted, however, this feature mayoptionally be provided in one or more of the compartments.

The bottom tray 141 can be similarly sized and shaped as the bottom tray14 in the previous embodiment. The outer surface of the bottom tray 141can have a different ribbing design along its sidewalls and a portion ofits bottom wall 132 than the previous bottom tray 14, as shown in FIG.7, can be the same, or it may not contain any ribbing at all. All of theremaining aspects of the food container 100 are the same as the foodcontainer 10 previously described. Similarly labeled reference numeralsrelate to the same features in both.

Another aspect is shown, in FIG. 13, where the top tray 212 can comprisetwo compartments 202 and 204. The compartments 202 and 204 are bothsized larger than if there were more than two compartments provided.This allows for storing larger sized food items. The top tray 212 canlikewise snap and fit into the bottom tray 14 or 141 of the previousembodiments. A flexible film 16 is sealed over the planar flange 254 ofthe top tray 212 to enclose the food items directly stored within thecompartments 202 and 204. The bottom tray can contain prepackaged foodand/or non-food items, as previously discussed.

The top tray 12, 121 or 212 and bottom tray 14 or 141 can bothoptionally contain a tab extension 60 and 74, respectively, at one ortwo opposing corners 82 and 86 of the food container 10. These tabextensions 60 and 74 can assist in opening the food container 10. Theconsumer can grasp the tab extension 60 located at the corner 86 of thetop tray 12 and apply an upward force to separate the tab extension 60from the tab extension 74 below it, in an effort to remove the top tray12 from the bottom tray 14. Furthermore, an optional raised protuberance88, such as a half circle, can be provided on the upper surface of thetab extension 74 on the bottom tray 14. This raised protuberance 88 canaid in separating the tab extension 60 from the lower tab extension 74by keeping a slight space between the two, and allow easier grasping ofthe upper tab extension 60 upon removal of the top tray 12.

Furthermore, where the top and bottom trays 12 and 14 contain tabextensions 60 and 74, respectively, the compartments 18 a and 22 b inthe top tray 12 adjacent the tab extensions 60 can have a curved corneredge, as can be seen in FIG. 4. For instance, the first compartment 18 ahas a generally rectilinear shape that is similar to the adjacentgenerally rectilinear compartment 18 b. The only difference beingbetween the two compartments 18 a and 18 b is that of the shape of thefirst compartment 18 a, which has one corner edge of its rectilinearcompartment 18 a curved rather than meeting at a generally 90 degreeangle, as in the adjacent compartment 18 b. Compartments 22 a and 22 bare similarly configured with a corner of compartment 22 b having onerounded corner adjacent the tab extensions 60 and 74.

The food container 10 or 100 can also optionally contain a paperboardsleeve 28 that extends and wraps around the top tray 12, 121, or 212 andthe bottom tray 14 or 141 when in the closed configuration, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 12. The sleeve 28 can hold the trays together againstunintentional separation until removal of the sleeve 28. The sleeve 28can also contain a tear strip 76 for easy removal of the sleeve 28without requiring cutting or tearing through the sleeve 28. The tearstrip 76 can have a tab 78 at one end for grasping, which the consumercan use to pull along the tear strip 76 to separate the sleeve 28 atscored lines of the tear strip 76. Optionally, the sleeve 28 can alsocontain writing or graphics printed on it.

Still optionally, the sleeve 28 can be adhered to a portion of the foodcontainer 10 or 100 to ensure that the sleeve 28 cannot slide off of thecontainer 10 or 100 or be removed unintentionally. Thus, an underside ofthe sleeve 28 can be glued or adhered to a portion of the container 10,such as a small section of the bottom tray 14 or 141. The sleeve 28remaining intact helps to ensure that the top and bottom trays remaintogether.

The top and bottom trays 12, 121 or 212 and 14 or 141 may bethermoformed trays made from a rigid material. The term “rigid” is usedherein to indicate that the structures made of these materials have theability to generally retain their respective shapes during normalhandling, such as polyester, polypropylene, high impact polystyrene,high density polyethylene, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, or acombination thereof. The bottom tray 14 or 141 can preferably be madefrom a transparent or translucent material such that the contentstherein can be viewed by the consumer when looking through the bottomtray 14 or 141 when the container 10 or 100 is in the closedconfiguration. However, the top tray 12, 121 or 212 does not need toalso be transparent. The top tray 12, 121 or 212 can comprise anon-transparent material, a colored material, or it can be transparent.The top tray 12, 121 or 212 can comprise an oxygen barrier material,such as high impact polystyrene (“HIPS”). The top tray can have anoxygen transmission rate of about 0.2 to about 0.4 cc/100 in²/24 h at atemperature of about 73° F. The bottom tray 14 or 141 can comprise anon-barrier material, such as amorphous polyethylene terephthalate(“APET”).

The air impermeable flexible film 16 that seals the top tray 12, 121 or212 can comprise a transparent film to permit viewing therethrough ofthe food items within their respective compartments. The material ofconstruction of the flexible film 16 may be polyethylene, polyethyleneterephthalate, ethylene vinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl acetate,polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene or a combination thereof. In oneaspect, a flexible film 16 is provided comprising polyethyleneterephthalate coextruded with a combination of polyethylene, ethylenevinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl acetate. The flexible film 16 canpreferably comprise an oxygen barrier film material, such that the fooditems sealed within the compartments of the top tray 12, 121, or 212 arehermetically sealed therein. The flexible film material used may have abarrier layer added to it that keeps out oxygen, has an antifog feature,and provides for easy open of the flexible film 16 from the top trayperipheral flange 54, 154, or 254. The flexible film 16 can be heatsealed to the top tray peripheral flange 54, 154 or 254 or any similarmethod of adhering the flexible film 16 to the top tray may be used.

Typical overall dimensions of the container 10 or 100 can comprise alength and width of about 5 inches to about 10 inches in length and ofabout 4.5 inches to about 6.5 inches in width. The length and width ofthe top and bottom trays should be similarly sized so that the two trayscan fit together snugly when placed in the closed configuration. Thedimensions of the container 10 or 100 are provided such that varioussizes can be accommodated. For instance, it may be desirable to size thecontainer 10 or 100 so that it can hold a pizza snack product, or inanother instance, a cracker snack product, where both may require adifferent depth tray.

The bottom and top trays can have a length from about 5 inches to about10 inches, and in particular, a length of about 7 inches to about 9inches. The width of the two trays can be from about 4.5 inches to about6.5 inches, and in particular, a width between about 5 inches and 6inches.

A depth of the bottom tray compartment can be from about 2 inches toabout 3.5 inches, and in particular, from about 2.5 inches to about 3inches deep. A depth of the top tray compartments can be from about 0.5inches to about 2 inches deep, and in particular, from about 0.5 inchesto about 1 inch deep.

In one aspect, as shown in FIGS. 1-6, the container 10 can have similardimensions of length and width for both the top and bottom trays 12 and14 comprising about 7.7 inches in length and about 5.2 inches in width.The top tray 12 can have compartment depths of about 0.7 inches deep,and the bottom tray 14 can have a compartment depth of about 2.6 inchesdeep. In another aspect, as shown in FIGS. 7-12, the top tray 121 canhave compartment depths of about 0.9 inches deep, and the bottom traycompartment 141 can have a depth of about 2.8 inches deep.

The thickness of the bottom tray 14 or 141 can be about 15 mil to about25 mil, and in particular, about 22 mil. The thickness of the top tray12, 121 or 212 can be about 4 mil to about 16 mil, and in particular,about 4 mil after the tray has been formed. The thickness of theflexible film 16 can be about 0.5 mil to about 2 mil, and in particular,about 1.5 mil.

The paperboard sleeve 28 can comprise a solid bleached sulfatepaperboard material that is not transparent. The sleeve 28 can have alength of about 4 inches to about 5 inches, and in particular, about 4.5inches. The width of the sleeve 28 can be about 4.5 inches to about 6inches, and in particular, about 5.3 inches. The length and width of thesleeve 28 can be provided as a constant between various products, sincesimilar length and width trays can be used across the board of productchoices, however, the height or depth of trays can vary depending on thefood item packaged therein. Therefore, the height of the sleeve 28 canvary depending on the product packaged and can be from about 2 inches toabout 3 inches. In one aspect, where a cracker snack is packaged, thecontainer 10 can have a sleeve 28 height of about 2.7 inches. In anotheraspect, where a pizza snack is packaged, the container 100 can have asleeve 28 height of about 2.9 inches.

When the sleeve 28 is placed around the trays, about less than half ofthe top tray 12, 121, or 212 remains visible and uncovered. Thus, lessthan about 50% of the uppermost surface 30 and compartments of the toptray 12, 121, or 212 remain visible and uncovered upon application ofthe sleeve 28. Where the top tray 12 has six compartments, some of thecompartments 20 a and 20 b may be completely covered by the sleeve 28and thus are not visible. Where the top tray 121 or 212 has two or threecompartments, a portion of each compartment can remain visible anduncovered upon application of the sleeve 28. In one aspect, about 42% ofthe top tray 12 can remain visible and uncovered after the sleeve 28 isplaced around the container.

The food container 10 or 100 described herein may be used to package anyvariety of ready to eat foods that may or may not require furtherminimal assembly of the food items before consuming. Ready to eat foodvarieties may include pizza snacks, cracker snacks, desserts, lunchkits, sandwich kits, meal kits, pasta kits, snack mixes, and other foodvarieties. The food items packaged together in the food container 10 or100 are typically associated food products depending upon the ready toeat food that is being sold. For instance, if a pizza product is beingsold in the food container 100, then at a minimum, food items that aretypical for a pizza can be included in the container 100, such as tomatosauce, cheese and a meat topping.

The top tray 12, 121 or 212 can comprise any number of various fooditems that are directly filled into their respective compartments andsealed with the flexible film 16 in a MAP environment, with noadditional packaging and no prepackaging of the food items required.Food items packaged in the top tray 12, 121 or 212 may comprise delimeats, deli cheeses, cheese shreds, meat, bread, pizza crust, crackers,any farinaceous food product, vegetables, fruits, and any other fooditem that may have a shelf-life packaging requirement and may requirehermetic and/or gas-flushed packaging.

In one aspect, the food container 10 may comprise a cracker snack thatincludes crackers, meat and cheese in the top tray 12. For instance,meat slices 90 may be stored and stacked upon one another in the firstpair of compartments 18 a and 18 b and cheese slices 92 may be storedand stacked in the last pair of compartments 22 a and 22 b. The crackers94 may be stored and stacked in the middle pair of compartments 20 a and20 b. The food items may be cut to any shape or thickness such that thefood items are shaped to fit in their respective compartment and are nottaller than the upper surface 30 of the top tray 12 when the food itemsare stacked upon one another. In the aspect shown in FIG. 6, the meatslices 90 may be cut to a circular shape and placed on the raised bottomportion 26 of the compartments 18 a and 18 b such that the upper surfaceof the meat slices 90 can be positioned relatively flush with theopening of the compartment adjacent the upper surface 30 of the top tray12 and at a similar height to the cheese 92 and crackers 94. The cheeseslices 92 can be cut into rectangular shapes and the cracker 94 may becircular in shape. However, any shape may be provided as long as thefood item can fit into its compartment.

In another aspect, the food container 100 may comprise a meat pizzasnack. For instance, a bread or crust product 108 may be stored in thecircular shaped compartment 102 with the toppings stored in the otheradjacent compartments. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the meatproduct 110 may comprise pepperoni slices stored and stacked in onecompartment 106 and cheese shreds 112 stored in an adjacent compartment104. In yet another aspect, the food container may comprise a cheesepizza snack with only two compartments in the top tray 212, one circularcompartment 202 for the bread or crust product 108 and anothercompartment 204 for the cheese shreds 112. The pizza sauce used in bothpizza snack products can be prepackaged and stored in the bottom tray 14or 141.

The bottom tray 14 or 141 can comprise any number of differentprepackaged food items and non-food items that do not require a MAPenvironment. The bottom tray 14 or 141 may contain a drink item, adessert item, a dessert cup, an apple sauce, condiment packets, ayogurt, a pizza sauce pouch, an eating utensil, a napkin, a cup, a bagof chips, a bag of crackers, any other type of prepackaged food itemthat does not have any special packaging requirements that impact itsshelf life, or any other type of non-food item that would be relevant toa ready to eat food container.

In the aspect shown in FIG. 6, the bottom tray 14 can contain a bottleof water, a prepackaged apple sauce, a prepackaged dessert bar and aspoon. In the aspect shown in FIG. 12, the bottom tray 141 can contain abottle of water, a prepackaged pouch of pizza sauce and a prepackageddessert item, such as cookies. However, the bottom tray 14 or 141 is notlimited to the combinations disclosed herein and any number of food andnon-food item combinations may be provided within the bottom tray 14 or141.

Three different top tray 12, 121, and 212 embodiments were disclosedwhere any top tray design is insertable into any bottom tray 14 or 141design, such that the top and bottom tray designs can be mixed andmatched. Additionally, other variations on the top tray and associatedcompartments can be provided such as different arrangements ororientations on the two or more compartment designs disclosed herein,and so forth.

The food package or containers 10 or 100 disclosed herein can containvarious ready to eat food kits or packages that can be assembled by theconsumer prior to eating. The food package 10 or 100 can first be openedto expose the food items stored therein. To open the food package, theconsumer can first remove the sleeve 28, if one is present, by graspingat the pull tab 78 and separating the sleeve along its tear strip 76 toallow it to be removed from around the top tray 12, 121 or 212 and thebottom tray 14 or 141. Next, the top tray 12, 121 or 212 can be removedfrom the bottom tray 14 or 141 by grasping the top tray 12, 121 or 212at its corner tab extension 60 and pulling up while separating it fromthe bottom tray 14 or 141. The bottom tray tab extension 74 can also begrasped and pulled in the opposite direction to enact a separation ofthe top and bottom trays. Once the trays are separated, the bottom trayinterior compartment 24 is exposed and the prepackaged food items and/ornon-food items are accessible.

The flexible film 16 can then be removed from the top tray 12, 121 or212 by peeling it away from the top tray peripheral flange 54, 154, or254, respectively, to expose the food compartments therein. The fooditems that are packaged within the food compartments of the top tray arethen exposed and can be removed from the compartments. The consumer canthen assemble the ready to eat food product by removing its componentfood parts from the compartments and assembling them into the final foodproduct. The bottom tray can contain food items that are associated withthe final food product and can compliment the final food product.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated a multiple-atmosphere, nestedfood container is provided that allows for packaging various foodproducts together having different shelf lives and having improvedproduct visibility, and methods of removal and assembly of the foodproduct thereof. However, numerous modifications and variations could bemade thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from thescope of the food container and method set forth in the claims.Therefore, the disclosure is not limited to the aspects and embodimentsdescribed hereinabove, or to any particular embodiments. Variousmodifications to the food container and the method of removal andassembly of the food product could be made which can result insubstantially the same food container and method of removal andassembly.

1. A multi-atmosphere, nested food container containing a plurality ofindividual food items having differing shelf-lives, the food containercomprising: a transparent, thermoformed bottom tray having a bottomwall, a peripheral side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall andhaving an uppermost peripheral rim surrounding an open end opposite thebottom wall, the side wall and bottom wall defining an interiorcontaining prepackaged food items in a non-modified atmosphere; anopaque, thermoformed top tray having an uppermost generally planarflange surrounding a plurality of openings and surrounding a peripheryof the tray, the openings corresponding to separate compartments eachhaving a depending sidewall and a bottom wall defining an interior forcontaining discrete, unpackaged perishable food items directly thereinand filled with a modified atmosphere gas other than air, the top trayinsertable into the bottom tray in an upright position such that the toptray nests inside a portion of an interior of the bottom tray with theportion of the flange surrouding the periphery of the top tray restingon the peripheral rim surrounding the opening of the bottom tray; and atransparent common, air impermeable flexible film affixed to a portionof the flange surrounding the periphery of the top tray such that theinteriors of the separate compartments are each visible through theflexible film and hermetically sealing each of the compartments.
 2. Thefood container according to claim 1, wherein the top tray and the bottomtray are both made from a rigid material.
 3. The food containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the top tray is made from an oxygenbarrier material and the bottom tray is made from a non-oxygen barriermaterial.
 4. The food container according to claim 1, wherein the gas isabout 70% to about 85% nitrogen.
 5. The food container according toclaim 4, wherein the gas is about 75% nitrogen with the balance carbondioxide.
 6. The food container according to claim 4, wherein the toptray has an oxygen transmission rate of about 0.2 to about 0.4 cc/100in²/24 h at a temperature of about 73° F.
 7. The food containeraccording to claim 1, wherein a sleeve extends around the top and bottomtrays to hold the trays together against unintentional separation untilremoval of the sleeve.
 8. The food container according to claim 7,wherein a portion of each of the compartments remains visible anduncovered upon application of the sleeve.
 9. The food containeraccording to claim 7, wherein about less than 50% of an uppermostsurface of the top tray remains visible and uncovered upon applicationof the sleeve.
 10. The food container according to claim 7, wherein thesleeve is not transparent.
 11. The food container according to claim 1,wherein the top tray has at least two or three compartments.
 12. Thefood container according to claim 11, wherein at least one of thecompartments has a generally circular side.
 13. The food containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the top tray has at least sixcompartments.
 14. The food container according to claim 13, wherein theat least six compartments are all generally rectangular.
 15. The foodcontainer according to claim 13, wherein at least two of the sixcompartments have a depressed common sidewall to allow for inserting afinger or other removal tool therein.
 16. The food container accordingto claim 13, wherein the at least six compartments are generally thesame size.
 17. The food container according to claim 1, wherein thebottom wall of at least one compartment in the top tray has a raisedportion for supporting food thereon above a bottommost portion of thebottom wall.
 18. The food container according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the compartments has a recess or notch for inserting afinger or other removal tool therein to provide for easier removal ofthe food item.
 19. The method of assembling a ready-to-eat food from aplurality of individual food items having differing shelf-lives, thesteps comprising: providing a multi-atmosphere, nested food packagehaving an opaque, thermoformed top tray having an uppermost generallyplanar flange surrounding a plurality of openings and surrounding aperiphery of the tray, the openings corresponding to separatecompartments each having a depending sidewall and a bottom wall definingan interior, the top tray sealed with a transparent common, airimpermeable flexible film affixed to a portion of the flange surroundingthe periphery of the top tray, such that the interiors of the separatecompartments are each visible through the flexible film and hermeticallysealing each of the compartments, the top tray insertable into atransparent, thermoformed bottom tray in an upright position such thatthe top tray nests inside a portion of an interior of the bottom tray,the bottom tray having a bottom wall, a peripheral sidewall extendingupwardly from the bottom wall and having an uppermost peripheral rimsurrounding an open end opposite the bottom wall, the sidewall andbottom wall defining an interior compartment, with the portion of theflange surrounding the periphery of the top tray resting on theperipheral rim surrounding the opening of the bottom tray; removing theflexible film from the portion of the flange surrounding the peripheryof the top tray to expose discrete, unpackaged perishable food itemsstored directly in the interior of compartments therein and containing amodified atmosphere other than air; removing the top tray from thebottom tray to expose the interior compartment of the bottom tray filledwith prepackaged food items in a non-modified atmosphere; and assemblingthe ready-to-eat food from the plurality of individual food items in thetop tray compartments.
 20. The method according to claim 19, furthercomprising the step of removing an outer sleeve that extends around thetop and bottom trays to hold the trays together against unintentionalseparation until removal of the sleeve.